Container



Sept. 27, 1949. R. VOGEL 2,483,304

CONTAINER Filed Dec 11, 1945 [1/ III /7 I Z 7.? PL 22 1 [III IIIIIIIIIII I1 INVENTOR. I Riynum V0551. 2, mm

- ATTURNEKC Patented Sept. 27, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Rudolf Vogel, Bridgeport, Conn. Application December 11, 1945, Serial No. 634,270 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-35) The present invention relates to a container for a cigarette package or the like, and has for an object to provide a protective container for receiving the well known popular type of cigarette package having a soft paper wrapper in such a manner as to effectually protect the cigarette package against crushing while being carried in the pocket, and which at the same time will provide a substantially air tight closure for the package, so that the freshness of the ciga rettes is preserved and flakes of tobacco are prevented from sifting from the container into the pocket.

Another object is to provide a container including a receptacle part and a cover part hingedly connected together, and wherein the receptacle part is provided with an upstanding flange extending entirely around its four sides and which is adapted to be engaged by the cover part with a relatively snug substantially air-tight flt at its four sides.

A further object is to provide hinge means in the form of a spring member adapted to exert opening pressure on the cover in its closed position, and which provides a floating hinge axis about which the cover swings in its opening and closing movements. In particular, it is proposed to provide a spring member which, in its normal untensioned position with the cover open, is of substantially right angular form and which, in its tensioned position with the cover closed, has its leg portions disposed in substantially the same plane. It is further proposed to provide a cooperating structure in the receptacle and cover parts, whereby the cover part, in swinging between its open and closed positions has a lateral shifting movement, the cover part moving first about an outwardly offset axis which brings its forward end into engagement with the upper end surface of the upstanding flange of the re ceptacle part, and thereupon being laterally shifted as it is swung into closed position in engagement with said flange, this movement taking place about a floating axis, and whereby a component of lateral force is exerted by the spring upon the cover part to retain it in closed position.

Another object is to provide a container having a spring hinge mounted entirely outwardly of the interior of the container, and wherein the interior surface of the receptacle and cover part are entirely free of any exposed or projecting structure of the spring hinge member.

A further object is to provide a container which may have its receptacle and cover parts conveniently and economically constructed from plastic tening means.

With the above and other objects in view, an

' embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with refer ence thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a container, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, the same being shown in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a rearward end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4' is a longitudinal showing the cover in its open position.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the container in the open position as seen in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, partially broken away, showing the cover in Dar tlally closed position.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View, partially broken away, showing the cover in fully closed position.

Fig.3 is a detail side view of the spring member in its detached untensioned state.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views of three alternative or modified spring hinge members.

Similar reference characters indicate correspondmg parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

} Referring to the drawings, the container for a cigarette package or the like, according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 8, comprises a receptacle part, indicated generally as I 0, and a cover art indicated generally as H, preferably constructed of plastic or of other suitable material, which, in addition to being relatively hard and stiff, has a limited degree of resilient yieldability.

The receptacle part [0 of the container has provided at its u per end portion a relatively thin lip flange l2 extending entirely around its four sides, a stop shoulder l3 being provided at the lower edge of the flange I2 at the outer side of the receptacle part. The rearward wall of the receptacle part is relatively thicker than the side and front walls and is provided with a recess I4 extending downwardly from the shoulder I3 and having its end walls inwardly spaced from each vertical sectional view,-

of the side walls of the receptacle part. The base wall of the recess I4 is horizontally disposed, its

of the flange i2. In the base wall of the recess it there is provided a, vertically disposed pocket l5 extending downwardly in the rearward wall of the receptacle, and adapted as will presently more fully appear to receive one leg of the spring hinge member, this slot extending substantially the full width of the recess I4 and extending downwardly into the wall of the receptacles sufilcient distance to receive and effectually anchor the leg of the spring hinge member.

The cover part II is provided within its lower end with an internal recess I6 extending about its four sides, and in which the flange l2 of the receptacle part is adapted to fit in the closed position of the cover, as seen in Fig. 7, the lower edge of the cover part in the closed position fitting upon the shoulder l3, and the shoulder of the recess l6 fitting upon the upper edge of the flange l2. In closed position the inner and outer surfaces of the cover part are substantially flush along its four sides with the inner and outer surfaces of the receptacle part. As in the case of the receptacle part, the rearward wall of the cover part is substantially thicker than the side and front walls, and is provided in its lower surface with a hinge leg receiving pocket ll extending vertically upwardly in said rear wall. This pocket I1 is substantially identical with the pocket l5 of the receptacle part and in the closed position of the cover part is vertically aligned therewith, being separated from the pocket It by the recess H.

The spring hinge member I8 is in the form of a rectangular strip of spring metal of right angle shape as shown in Fig. 8 in its normal untensioned state, and having its end portions Iii-l9 bent inwardly upon the outer sides of the leg portions to provide double thickness gripping portions for retention of the spring in the pockets l5 and H of the receptacle and cover parts. The spring corresponds in width substantially to the width of the pockets l5 and I1, and is ofsuch thickness that the double thickness ends provided by the end portions l9 are adapted to be tightly forced into the pockets by the application of suflicient pressure, the end edges of the end portions l9 thereupon forming spurs which tend to bite into the plastic material of the walls of the pockets to resist outward removal of the spring ends. Other suitable formations of known design may be provided upon the spring ends for the purpose of retaining them in the pockets, and it will also be understood that if desired the spring may be riveted or otherwise suitably secured.

In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 there are illustrated three alternative or modified spring hinge members which may be employed instead of the spring hinge member illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8. In Fig. 9, the spring hinge member I8 is formed of a strip of spring metal substantially similar to the spring hinge member l8, being provided at each of its ends with inwardly bent end portions l9. Instead of the right angular bend forming the bight of the spring, the bight consists of two spaced bends 24-44 having a diagonal connecting portion between them, so that the angles of the bends in the normal untensioned position of the spring are substantially 135, as distinguished from the 90 angle of the bend of the spring l8. In Fig. 10 the spring hinge member l8 consists of a length of spring wire formed into a substantially rectangular loop bent at right angles between its ends to form the bight of the spring. The sides of the .two legs of the spring hinge member'are preferably provided with crimped portions 25 for wedging engagement in the pockets of the receptacle. and cover parts of the container. In

. Fig. 11 the spring hinge member i 8 is also formed of a length of wire, and has a; coil 25 provided in the bight of the spring. The end extremity 21 of one side of one of the legs of the spring hinge member is bent at right angles and inserted in the passage through the coil 26 from one side, while the end extremity 28 at the other side of the other leg is bent at right angles and inserted in the passage through the coil from the other side. As in the case of the spring hinge member shown in Fig. 10 the sides of the two legs are provided with crimped portions 25 for wedging engagement in the pockets of the receptacle and cover parts of the container.

In the assembled relation the bight of the spring hinge is disposed in the recess l4, and, as shown clearly in'Figs. 4 and 6, the outward offset of the pocket It from the inner wall of the recess provides a small clearance space between the bight of the spring and the inner wall of the recess. It will also be seen that the portion of the leg of the spring within the pocket and above the end portion is has a clearance space within the pocked at its inner side in which the spring may have a slight swinging movement.

In the open position, as seen in Fig. 4, the pre-set form of the spring is such that the cover stands substantially vertically and entirely clear of the interior of the receptacle part. In closing the cover it is first swung to a position as seen in Fig. 6, this swinging movement taking place about a relatively fixed swinging point or axis. The forward end of the cover part contacts the upper'surface of the forward end of the flange l2, which is preferably made somewhat lower than the rearward end by forming the upper edge of the forward portion of the flange at a downward incline, as at 20. Also this forward end is slightly rounded, as at 2|, to provide a camming surface over which the forward edge of the cover may move. At this point in the closing movement the cover part is rearwardly offset to a slight extent so that there is lateral clearance between the rearward wall of the cover part and the rearward wall of the flange l2, and there is also substantial lateral clearance between the bight of the spring hinge member and the inner wall of the recess ll. The cover part is thereupon pressed into its fully closed position by moving it laterally over the rounded surface 2|, at the same time swinging it downwardly against the stop shoulder 13. During this movement the cover part swings about a floating center or axis, which moves substantially laterally causing the bight of the spring to move inwardly against the inner wall of the recess ll Thus in the closed position of the cover part this spring exerts a component of lateral force upon the cover toward the hinge to pull the forward surface of the recess I6 of the cover in frictional engagement with the forward end of the flange [2. In this engaged relation there is a very slight clearance between the rearward wall of the flange l2 and the rearward wall of the cover part, as shown clearly in Fig. 7. The forward end of the flange I2 is preferably provided with a small nub or projection 22 adapted to engage a small dimple or recess 23 in the forward wall of the cover part. If desired the arrangement of the projection 22 and recess 23 may be reversed, the projection being on the cover part and the recess in the flange l2.

In order to open the container, it is only necessary to apply slight pressure toone of the corners of the receptacle part, which part is so constructed that slight pressure will sufliciently distort the basic shape of the container to cause the frictional pressure between the receptacle and cover parts set up by the lateral force of the spring hinge to be momentarily released, and also to cause the projection 22 to disengage from the recess 23 sufficiently to allow the opening force of the spring hinge to become eflective.

Thereupon the spring hinge swings the cover to open position, the cover moving laterally as it is initially swung from the closed position to the position shown in Fig. 6, and thereupon swinging about a substantially fixed axis to the open position shown in Fig. 4. In practice the hand is gripped about the receptacle so that diagonally opposite corners are pressed inwardly, causing the front and rear walls which are normally parallel to the front and rear walls of the cover to assume an angular position and the side walls to move inwardly from the side walls of the cover. This action is permitted by the clearance provided between the rear walls of the receptacle and cover and by the lateral swinging movement of the hinge axis of the spring. The container may thus be held and opened by the use of one hand only.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A container comprising a receptacle part having parallel front and rear walls and parallel side walls normally at right angle to said front and rear walls, a cover part having parallel front and rear walls and parallel side walls normally at right angles to said front and rear walls, there being lateral clearance between the rear wall of said receptacle part and the rear wall of said cover part to permit lateral shifting of said cover part relatively to said receptacle part in the closed position of said cover part, and a spring hinge member having its end portions respectively secured to the rear walls of said receptacle and said cover parts and its intermediate hinging axis portion laterally movable with respect to said receptacle part, said hinge member, in the closed position of said cover part, exerting an opening force on said cover part, and also a lateral component of force upon said cover part toward said hinge member to retain said part in closed position through engagement of said front walls of said cover and receptacle parts, the walls of said receptacle part being exteriorly engageable at their upper marginal portions within the walls of said cover part and extending for a substantial distance below said cover part to provide exposed corners adapted to be laterally gripped, and the walls of said receptacle part having. resilient yieldability whereby lateral gripping pressure applied to diagonally opposite corners disposes the front and rear walls of said receptacle part in angular relation to the front and rear walls of said cover part and moves the side walls of said receptacle part inwardly away from the side walls of said cover part to thereby permit said cover part to open under the action of said spring member.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, further characterized by cooperating interlocking means on the front walls of said receptacle and cover parts adapted to be engaged and disengaged through lateral shifting movement of said cover Dar RUDOLF VOGEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,950,465 Whitlock Mar. 13, 1934 2,126,050 Shifiman et al Aug. 9, 1938 2,205,969 Boenecke June 25, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 28,747 Great Britain 1904 113,079 Austria Apr. 25, 1929 397,416 Great Britain Aug. 24, 1933 550,677 Great Britain Jan. 19, 1943 

